BBC Proms 2025: Ravel: Rapsodie espagnole, La valse; Bologne: Violin Concerto, Op. 8; Sohy: Danse mystique; Chausson: Poème (Goosby / Orchestre national de France / Măcelaru)

23rd July 2025
Royal Albert Hall, London, United Kingdom

RAVEL Rapsodie espagnole
BOLOGNE Violin Concerto, Op. 8
SOHY Danse mystique
CHAUSSON Poème
RAVEL La valse

Randall Goosby (violin)
Orchestre national de France
Cristian Măcelaru (conductor)



My 2025 has been very French for some reason and it's great to start the Proms season with an all-French evening. Almost exactly one year ago, the poor souls of the Orchestre national de France and their fantastic Romanian director Cristian Măcelaru got completely drenched during the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics and there were some discussions about whether or not they used real instruments or if it was a genuine performance. Tonight we could hear them live in their full glory. Celebrating Ravel 150, the programme started with "Rapsodie espagnole" and ended with "La valse". They were sweet, well-balanced, well-paced, transparent, light, elegant, immaculate - the best sounds French music can offer *chef's kiss*. I can listen to them playing Ravel and nothing else all season. Randall Goosby was the soloist for two concertos in between - Op. 8 of Joseph Bologne (Chevalier de Saint-Georges) and the Chausson "Poème". The Chevalier's is very pleasant, virtuosic in the outer movements, emotional in the middle and the rapport between soloist and orchestra was perfect. Op. 8 is not as daring as Op. 5/2 that Mutter championed, but I would love to hear his VCs hitting the big time more often. It's a shame that Chausson died young and we never get to hear more of his lush French Romantic sound beyond the handful of works he left behind. Goosby shifted gears from the clean Classical finger works to the deeper emotional tones for this concertante work. I have heard more passionate renditions, but it was very moving nonetheless. Charlotte Sohy's 1922 symphonic poem "Danse mystique" was nicely performed, but it was 13 minutes of mood-painting wandering around the same motifs going nowhere. Apparently it is meant to be programmatic, so I must have missed something important. It's an obscure work for a reason though. According to Wikipedia, her works were loved by the likes of Dukas, Ravel and Fauré. Tastes have moved on, I suppose. This is one fine orchestra and they need to come back soon.